The present invention relates to a clamp for holding elongated objects, such as pipes, wire harness, fuel lines, or hydraulic brake lines, to a vehicle body, for example, and more particularly to a vibration suppressing clamp constructed so that vibration is not transmitted from the object to the vehicle body, and/or so that vibration is not transmitted from the vehicle body to the object. Although the invention is applicable to a variety of elongated objects, for simplicity of description all such objects will be referred to hereinafter as an object or a pipe without limitation.
Laid-Open Utility Model Application [JIKKAI] No. H4-44581/1992, gazette (Patent Literature 1) discloses a clamp for pipes, and for preventing rattle noises that accompany vibration. The clamp comprises a base and a pipe holder supported by the base. The pipe holder comprises curved walls that form concavities for accepting pipes, and elastic holding pieces, extending diagonally from tip parts of the curved walls in the direction of the concavities, for pressing side surfaces of pipes accommodated in the curved walls. The inner wall surfaces are covered with a soft shock-absorbing resinous material that directly contacts pipes held by the curved walls so that rattle noise is absorbed.
Laid-Open Patent Application [TOKKAI] No. H9-184580/1997 (Patent Literature 2), a counterpart of U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,300 issued Sep. 21, 1999, discloses a vibration suppressing clamp for pipes designed so that vibration is not transmitted from pipes to a vehicle body, for example, and/or so that vibration is not transmitted from a vehicle body to pipes. The vibration suppressing clamp effects noise suppression by the deployment of vibration attenuating material between a pipe holder consisting of a hard resinous material and a base consisting of a hard resinous material for supporting the pipe holder.
Laid-Open Patent Application [TOKKAI] No. H11-304055/1999, gazette (Patent Literature 3) discloses a vibration suppressing clamp for pipes, designed so that vibration is not transmitted from pipes to a vehicle body, for example, and/or so that vibration is not transmitted from a vehicle body to pipes. The vibration suppressing clamp is intended to suppress rattle noises accompanying vibration, and effects noise suppression by the deployment of a vibration suppression member between a pipe holder consisting of a hard resinous material and a base consisting of a hard resinous material for supporting the pipe holder.
The clamp described in Patent Literature 1 directly holds pipes with a soft shock-absorbing (vibration suppressing) resinous material, so the vibration suppression effect can be enhanced, but in order to raise the vibration suppression effect, it is necessary to make the vibration suppressing resinous material thick. The vibration suppression member is soft, however, and if it is made thick, the pipe holding force will weaken, so there is a danger that pipes will wobble inside the curved walls. There is also a danger of the vibration suppressing resinous material peeling away due to strong forces on pipes in the axial direction. Should a pipe compress the vibration suppression member due to shock, there is a danger that the vibration suppression member will be excessively deformed and fail, because there is nowhere for the material to escape.
The vibration suppressing clamp described in Patent Literature 2 and Patent Literature 3, unlike the clamp in Patent Literature 1, has no vibration suppression member between the pipe holder and pipes, and exhibits low vibration absorbing effect compared to clamps that hold pipes directly with a vibration suppression member as in Patent Literature 1.